(Closed) for Bees who sit all day …

After being on unemployment for 3 months, I finally started a new job yesterday.

I’m excited and think that this will turn out really well for me, but 99% of the day is sitting and I am already in pain because of it!

I’ve been working office jobs for the past 6 years, so I’m sort of used to this. However, at past jobs I’ve been able to get up, like, at LEAST every half hour or so, whether it was to relieve a receptionist, make a copy, deliver a document, grab literature, etc.

But it seems like this job is one where your ass becomes a part of your chair. And since I’m training, I can’t just get up whenever I want. I literally spend 4-6 hours AT A TIME planted in my chair and my butt, shoulders, back, and neck really start to hurt.

I try moving around or doing stupid little stretches in my chair but it doesn’t really work. And I’m sure people think I’ve got ants in my pants or something.

It doesn’t help that I drink, like, a gallon of water every 4 hours so I’m used to going to the bathroom, like, once an hour.

I don’t understand how people just SIT for soooooooooooo long!

Plus I drive an hour to and from everyday!

I try to move as much as possible once I get home but …. yeah this is going to take some getting used to.

I feel your pain. I too am not really allowed to get up at work. This sounds ridiculous as I am 37 years old! I just try to be as physically active as possible as i can outside of work. I just came from the gym and there was a massage therapist giving giving 5 min massages. Once he put his hands on me I was like yowch! My shoulders, back, neck–all full of knots! And I know it is from the sitting/typing. But this is my job and jobs are not plentiful.

It gets me irritated all of the studies that are coming out now about how sitting on your ass for hours a day can kill you. Migrant workers picking blueberries in the fields don’t exactly enjoy longevity either.

What I plan to do is continue to exercise and get massages. They are probably medically necessary at this point.

Can you sit on a yoga ball? That really helps me when my wiggles out when I have to ve tethered to the computer for extended periods of time. Throughout my day, I sit on the ball, on a chair, on the floor, sometimes I’ll make a stand up station.

@Stace126: I understand completely! Luckily through work I get to visit a chiropractor for free and that REALLYHELPS! He’s told me that I should try to get up once every 20 minutes. Lots of times I just stand up and type at my computer just to stretch my back out.

I second what @Ellegee: says about a yoga ball, I’m thinking about asking my boss if I could use one.

A few people in my office have yoga balls. I sometimes stand when I work, but we also have those nice Herman Miller Aeron chairs, so I like to stretch back in mine. I lean back and stretch my arms and legs. Like chair pilates.

I brought in a step stool (actually a plastic milk crate) to keep under my desk. It really helps to put my feet up while I am sitting. What kind of shoes are you wearing? I find if I wear heels to work, my feel hurt just sitting, because it contorts my legs while seated.

Once you are out of training you should be able to at least stand and go to the restroom! Sometimes in the rest room I do squats, dance moves, or stretches behind closed doors, LOL.

Do you have an office? Or are you in a cube/open space? I shut my door for a few minutes around 10 and a few minutes around 3 and stretch for 2 or 3 minutes. It’s just a short amount of time (and like PP, you can do it in the bathroom/closed conference room, whatever) and it makes me feel SO much better. I also pull my shoes off at my desk, and sit cross-legged in my chair when I don’t have clients coming in.

ETA- keep drinking water! It’s best to be hydrated, don’t want to add to the problems from sitting all day.